Short stories
by Stremi da la Saetta
Summary: A series of short stories as they pop in my mind, centered mainly on Ianto and Jack relationship, but not only.
1. Chapter 1: Near death

Copyright: Torchwood, Ianto Jones, Jack, and all the other characters of these great TV show do no belong to me.

Note: I'm not native English speaker and don't have so far a beta reader, so I'm sorry for any error present. I try my best to clean the story as much as possible, and if someone out there wants to help, I'll be very grateful.

Ianto body was on a hard floor, he could hear Owen barking orders and Jack soothing voice telling him that everything will be all right. But he was not sure about it. He wanted the pain to disappear, his heart too shattered to be pierced back together. He only wanted to let go and fall into darkness, into nothingness. But he would not let him go, he was calling for him, begging him to stay, to not leave him alone... But Jack would never be alone, he had many lovers and he will have even more. The dashing hero, the saviour of humanity. He saved him once, after Lisa death, but not today. And his death would be final, no resurrection glove, both destroyed. He felt the darkness creeping closer and slowly becoming his shroud.

"I love you."

Three words, three simple, short words and he felt light exploding around him.

Cracking his eyes open Ianto saw him, Jack, looking at him, his eyes filled with tears and love. Jack has never looked at him like in that very moment. And maybe, just maybe, Ianto meant something more than just convenient shag to Jack; maybe he was someone special to the immortal. He was surprised how powerful that thought was.


	2. Chapter 2: Seaside relax time

Copyright: Torchwood, Ianto Jones, Jack, and all the other characters of these great TV show do no belong to me.

Note: I'm not native English speaker and don't have so far a beta reader, so I'm sorry for any error present. I try my best to clean the story as much as possible, and if someone out there wants to help, I'll be very grateful.

Ianto didn't remember when it has been the last time that he felt sand under his bare feet. It was foreign to him, so accustomed to his high quality socks and leather shoes that they had become like a second skin. He walked slowly in the foreshore looking at the weaves coming and going, delicately crushing on his skin. He smelled the air, fresh, filled with saltiness brought by the light breeze. He looked at the sky, unusually blue, clear of clouds. All of sudden he felt arms around his waist and the overwhelming presence of Jack surrounding him.  
"Enjoying your free day?" Jack whispered in Ianto ears.  
"Very much. Thank you, I really needed to get out of the Hub and away from the others." It wasn't that he had a problem with his teammates; on the opposite he liked them. Tosh was shy and reliable, a good listener, when she was not engrossed in some of her computer programs. Gwen warm and friendly, but better not to get in her way when she was in a bad mood. Owen, well, was Owen; brush, cynical, and rough all around, but a damn good doctor, and of the stubborn type. No, Ianto really liked them, but after the last mission, he needed time off, to be able to recompose his thoughts.  
All started with the rift spitting out an object apparently insignificant, which did not react to any of their stimulation. It was completely inactive, until Ianto had touched it. And hell broke loose in his mind. It turned out that it was a "memory storage", an alien device with the purpose of collecting memories of living forms. And memories were not the only thing stored, but the feelings associated to them as well. For what reason Jack did not know, but it probably was some sort of archiving purpose. The story told by the people that lived it.  
Owen thought that the object may have reacted to Ianto empathic abilities. Although low level, they must have been enough to trigger its activation. And then he saw it, the destruction of an entire civilization, the death of million of people, the hopelessness and desperation of the alien being that was recording it. His last thoughts were for his family and the hope that they were not forgotten.  
His wish was granted. He told Jack everything, and their memory will live forever.


	3. Chapter 3: The morning after

This chapter is from Owen point of view. This is my take on the morning after the events of "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang"

I would like to thank all the people that a reading this story, you all made me very happy ;)

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Owen sat at the large table having breakfast, looking at Ianto wolfing down his food with Jack smiling at him, and thinking about the last night, well last two night to be precise. All started with bloody Jack Harkness coming back followed by his bloody ex-partner John Hart, all the madness of the fake canisters, and the bomb that send them back in time. To avoid themselves Jack bloody Harkness brought the whole gang in a Torchwood safe house just outside Cardiff, so they could also rest. Yes, as if...

It was a quite big two-storey house, with a large living room furnished with what he suspected were very expensive mahogany furnishings, and a spacious kitchen with annexed the dining room and the service bathroom. On the second floor there were two large bedrooms, a small guest room, and the master bathroom. They all went directly upstairs, exhausted by the night. It wasn't surprised when Gwen and Tosh headed for one of the main bedrooms at the far end of the corridor, and even less when Jack and Tea Boy headed for the central one, leaving him thankfully alone in the guest room: he was looking forward to meet the bad.

But getting asleep would pose a challenge. Few minutes later, he heard Ianto shouting at Jack, asking him explanations for his sudden departure and his behavior down in the vaults with Gwen. Oh, so Tea Boy have seen the CCTV... He could not make out the answer, but Jack voice was clearly filled with pain and regret. At least he had the decency to sound like that. The match went on for quite some time and finally it quieted down to what he suspected was a recount of what happened in the past few months from both sides.

Silence, blessed silence. Owen closed his eyes, finally able to sleep and to enjoy a full night of rest, while his "younger" self was out somewhere averting a major crisis. And he heard a shout. Ianto's voice. He immediately jump out of the bad, took his gun and run out in the corridor. Gwen and Tosh joined him at the same time in front of his teammate room.

He was ready to kick the door down.

"Woooow" he heard Ianto, and then a "Aaaaah!" followed by "Oh, oh, oh" and a several words in Welsh. Side looking, he saw Gwen getting lobster red, securing her gun, and blushing even more. With a tiny whisper she suggested to get back to her and Tosh room. The screams soon become moans, and the moans pants. Figures, always the quiet one. Tosh and Gwen were entranced and they were enjoying the performance that Jack and mainly Ianto were giving. When he made a remark to his two female Gwen with just told him: "What?" as if it was the most normal thing to do, whereas Tosh commented that "Doesn't men like to see women making out? We (women) like to see (in this case hear) men having sex." Dawn was too far away.

And so this was Owen second night, sleepless, again. As he was finishing his coffee, the girls finally showed up and with all the innocence that she could gather, and she was good at it, Gwen asked:

"Soooo, I must presume that you two have been able to sort out, hemmm, things?" And she immediately added grabbing a toast and a cup of coffee: "By the way Jack, you should do something for the walls, they are far too thin." Without waiting for an answer, she made a tactical retreat followed by a snickering Tosh.

Owen then looked at Ianto, red from tip to toe, choking on his food in front of a very bemused Captain Harkness.

Owen didn't move. He just busied himself with his breakfast, as if nothing happened but deep inside hew was laughing like a hyena. He now had something to tease the Tea Boy with to no end. This was far too precious than a good night of rest. After all, Owen had to admit, thin wall were not such a bad thing.


	4. Chapter 4: Thoughts in the night

First of all I would like to thank all my reader and reviewer, and sorry for the late chapter

Copyright: Torchwood, Ianto Jones, Jack, and all the other characters of these great TV show do no belong to me.

This story is thought as a follow up of "Near Death"

Enjoy!

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Thoughts in the night

Jack laid in bed keeping the young Welshman close to him. It has been a long day, hell, a long week actually. One alarm after another, with the Rift spitting out all kind of things, and the Weevel being the most normal issue. The extra work had put the whole team in a foul mood. Gwen had almost broken up with Rhys, the usual shy and gentle Toshiko biting back harsh comments, and Owen being more than his usual self. Ianto on the other side closed himself even more, reverting to the invisible butler of the time when he was hiding the half converted Lisa. And this had worried Jack to no end. Anger, frustration, shouting, even beating, he could deal with it very easily, but not the silence. Too many painful memories from both his and Ianto's past were attached to it, and he wanted them gone.

It all came to an end that very day, when the situation with a Blowfish went completely out of control and the Welshman got shot. He could still feel the blood sticking to his hands, dense and bright, Ianto's skin becoming colder and colder, his breath ragged, and the life being drained from those profound blue eyes. Panic had hit him with an intensity that he had never felt before, not even when he first died such a long time ago on that cursed satellite. What he felt when left behind by the doctor was nothing compared to the storm inside him in that very moment. It hurt thousand time more than being called "wrong". No. Losing his Ianto hurted him deeper and stronger than anything else that he experienced in his life.

He was not aware of the tears that had found their way through his eyes, or the fact that some of them touched the pale skin of his lover waking him up. He finally came to his senses when he felt a soft brush on his hand and someone calling his name.

"Jack, please talk to me." A whisper in his ears.

"Jack, please, you are scaring me." The soft words finally worked their way through him. He looked down and saw Ianto's eyes full of concern and fear.

"Hey there, welcome back sleeping beauty."

"You are crying."

"Am I?"

"Yes. What happened?"

"I almost lost you today."

"I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."

"But one day you will, and I don't know if I will survive."

"You can't die Jack. You will survive. You did it in the past, and you will do it again in the future."

"My body doesn't die, but my soul isn't immortal."

Ianto frowned at Jack's words, thinking deeply at their meaning. He couldn't help shivering at the realization that he was holding more than just his lover heart. He was holding his whole existence. When he was on the verge of death he heard Jack saying 'I love you', three small words able to tip the balance toward life. They had been like a warm shroud that soothed him toward the shining surface of his existence.

"You... you really meant it, haven't you?"

Jack gaze became deep with emotions. He dried his tears and with his usual smug smile he said:

"I love you Ianto Jones."

Ianto snuggled close to Jack. He let the immortal surrounding and lulled him back to sleep. As he closed his eyes Ianto said:

"I love you too Captain Jack Harkness."


	5. Chapter 5: Love is Blind

This story take inspiration from Annie Lennox song "Love is Blind". I love this song and I was lucky enough to go to one of her concerts. That woman is absolutely fantastic! She has such a strong presence on the stage! One the best concert that I ever seen.

One last thing: it takes places sometime between "Something borrowed" and "Fragmented".

As usual I don't own anything related to Torchwood, sadly not even the boys...

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Chapter 5: Love is Blind

Oh... sugar

When ya gonna come?

I spend my life getting older

But you still got me on the run

When ya gonna come?

Oh. . sweetness

When will you mine?

I spend my days getting' colder

But I still want you all the time

Oh the grass is growing greener

On the other side

Nothing else has meaning

When I got you on my mind

I so wanna see you

Don't they say that love is blind?

Oh love is blind

Love is blind

I got so much trouble getting into this

Can't decide if it's hell or bliss

Sometimes I feel like I don't exist

Cut my veins and slit my wrists

Goodbye

Goodbye

That's all she wrote

As she tied that knot around her throat

Wipe my eyes

Dry my tears

Wait for you for a thousand years

Oh lover

Make me yours again

Even though your thrill is gone

All my feelings still remain

Even though your thrill is gone

I'm gonna love you just the same

Can't you see that i'm addicted

To the notion of a someone

Who could take me from this wretched state

Save me from the bitterness and hatred of humanity

It's so screwed up

Tired of bein' down on luck

Tired of bein' beaten up

Tired of bein' so screwed up

Tired of all this desperation

Tired of all this mad frustration

Tired of all the aggravation

Sick and tired of devastation

Give it some consideration

It was that time of day that you don't know it is late night or early morning. Cardiff was quite, wrapped in a thin layer of rain, the noise of cars and howling of police sirens were distant and almost comforting, testifying how the city never really rest. Ianto sat on the sofa looking through the window. In the background he could listen to the radio turned on to keep him company but not too loud to wake up the guest currently sleeping in his bed.

Many thoughts were passing through his head, but one common theme: Captain Jack Harkness. It was already months, almost a year that they have been going steady, but he wasn't yet sure where he stand in Jack's eyes. Was he a lover, a friend with benefits, or a half-time shag? Or was he something else completely? Jack has changed so much in the past few month that deeply confused him. He drew a long breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm down his heart and mind. But in vain. He scribbled few words on a piece of paper. He didn't want to worry Jack just in case he would wake up before him coming back, then he took his coat and headed out.

Jack heard the door closing and decided to get up. From the window in the livingroom, he could see Ianto walking away, going toward the bay. It has been like this every single night since Gwen wedding. Since that day, Jack started to spend all his nights at Ianto's place, slowly bringing some of his belongings. It wasn't an official moving, but it was a moving of some sort. And every single night Ianto would leave the bed and get out of the house to come back just before dawn. He knew and trusted Ianto enough to be sure that he was not running to another lover, but this behaviour worried Jack none the less, because it meant that Ianto has some issue with him that he didn't want to discuss. In the past nights, Jack would just go back to bed and behave as if nothing happened. Not this time. He would wait for Ianto to come back and they would have a proper talk.

As usual Ianto came back two hours later from his walk. As he entered he was greated with a cup of warm coffee, and a serious Captain Jack Harkness. He was busted.

"Where have you been, Ianto?"

"Walking."

"This I could see myself. What I'm asking is where you walked to?"

"I'm not cheating on you."

"I know."

"You do?"

"You are not that kind of person."

"I did it in the past, with Lisa."

Jack knew very well what he was talking about. The months before they discovered his half converted girlfriend in the basement of the hub.

"That was differen."

"How so?"

"You were desperate and in love."

"And what am I now?"

"Confused."

"Oh."

Jack took Ianto hand in his and looked into his beautiful aquamarine eyes.

"You are not the only one that is confused. I was too and because of that I've been an ass. But I will not be that anymore. I made up my mind the moment that I started dancing with you at Gwen wedding."

"Jack I..." But Ianto was interrupted by Jack's finger placed on his lips.

"Please let me finish. It's important for us that I make myself clear. Ok?"

"Ok."

"I know that in the past time I've lusted after Gwen." Ianto winced. "But it was just that, actually even less than that. It was more like, I don't know... It was more like when you fantasize after an actor or a singer. You admire them, you want them, but you also realize that it's just a fantasy, nothing more. You also know that if it will ever become true, it will be just a one night stand, not more than that. I can never be happy with her and I can not see myself living my life with her either. There is nothing more that I would like than being able to grow older with you. You must believe me Ianto I..."

This time it was Jack's time to be shut up by Ianto's finger.

"I know. And stop rambling, you are pathetic." Jack mounted an angry face. "Don't look at me like that, because you are, but it is quite cute too. Listen Jack, I don't go out because I'm insecure about you, I'm doing it because I need to put my mind at peace. You are an overwhelming presence, especially _after_ Gwen wedding. You have practically moved in my house, spent all night together, sex or not sex. You even stop flirting, and Captain Jack Harkness always flirt with everything and everyone. You have changed and I needed some time alone to put order in my mind, to understand what it means for me and for us"

"I thought that you would have liked it, I mean, me being more..."

"Being more what, Jack?" Asked Ianto with a teasing voice. He needed Jack to admit what there was between them. He could not expect him to always give it for granted.

"Ehm... couplely?"

A wide grin spread across Ianto face. He said nothing, he just took Jack hand and took him in his bedroom. Their bedroom, Ianto corrected himself mentally.

Unaware to both men, a small girl with long chestnut hair was looking toward the house holding three tarot cards in her hands. One was the Knight, the second the Magician, and the third the Lovers. As the sun started to show himself and welcome the new day, she turned toward the bay and walked away. If you would have looked close you could have seen her wide smile. Half way she stopped and looked back. Her task was now completed, with all pieces placed in the right place for what was gonna come.

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Ok this one started angsty but on the way I made a little turn and become more romantic. Hope that I didn't mess it up.

As you can imagine, this is a sort of prelude to a CoE fix it story. But not yet. I want first to concentrate on finishing my other story and get it done properly. And Yes I belong to the club: "Keel Ianto alive after CoE Day 4" Club.


	6. Chapter 6: Mud

First of all THANK YOU ALL! This collection of short stories is going better that i expected.

This is very very short thing that just popped in my mind. Hope you like it!

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Mud

"You really had to do it! What in the hell went through that head of yours Jack?! You are worse than a two year kid!" Ianto voice reverberated through the hub catching the attention of the whole team.

"I thought it would be fun!"

"FUN! FUN?! I'm covered in mud Jack! I would never get this suit clean!"

"Oh come on Ianto I will buy you a new one then."

"It happened that I liked very much this one!"

"I'm sorry ok?"

"Not ok at all. Now I'm going to have a shower, in the meantime you will go out and buy me a new suit. When you come back you will do your and mine paperwork."

Jack grunted loudly but did not dare to challenge his lover. It could have been subjected to a much worse punishment.

"One last thing Jack: couch, one month."

Jack looked Ianto back making a fast retreat towards the common showers completely shocked...


	7. Chapter 7: Mud 2

This story is to thank janie17 for her constant support. Hope it answer your question

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Mud 2

Jack was left with his mouth open, gasping for air. His mind was going over and over Ianto's last words. One entire month without sex! He could barely go through a day, but a month! He had to get back to his lover graces, at all costs. After quickly refreshing himself, Jack took the SUV and drove towards Cardiff downtown. He started thinking back how it all began.

"_Jack, I can see the Weevil, it's going north-east. I'm in close pursuit."_

"_Got it Ianto, I will cut him off before it reaches crowded spaces."_

"_Be careful Jack. Don't get killed!"_

"_I'll try my best. Be careful you too. Jack out."_

_After few minutes Jack saw the Weevil entering a construction zone. The rain was heavy, transforming the soil in a mud-trap. He tackled the beast and after several minutes of struggle, Jack was finally able to subdue it._

_As he was putting the restraints in place, he finally noticed Ianto looking down on him with a smug smile plastered on his face._

"_Like what you see Ianto?"_

"_Well this definitely confirm my theory: you are an over-grown and over-aged child who likes to get dirt."_

_Jack looked down at himself. He was literally covered from head to toes in mud. Then he looked at Ianto and his pristine and immaculate suit. A child eh? And he threw mud at the Welshman._

Of course being Jack it did not end there and he find himself having to deal with a wakening Weevil and a furious and dirty Ianto. Now he will have to bore a hole in his wallet to get back in his lover graces. And he just happened to know what would do the trick.

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If you are wondering what Jack is going to buy Ianto, have a look to the last Prada collection ;)


	8. Chapter 8: Staring contest

Hi everyone, here I'm back again with my short stories. This is just a cute and funny thing to introduce an OC in the Torchwood family ;)

Enjoy

As usual: I don't own Tochwood or any of his characters.

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Chapter 8: Staring contest

"You really don't have the touch."

Ianto looked the immortal man sitting on the couch, nursing his injured right arm and pouting about the recent events.

"I do have the touch!"

"Yes, Jack you do have it, with people, and I am pretty sure that cats don't fit such description"

"But everyone likes me!"

Ianto could not help but to shrug at the statement. Figures, Jack and his egocentric ego! Everything and everyone have to revolve around him.

"Jack, please, stop mopping! It's just a cut and it won't be the end of the word if 'someone' in the universe does NOT like you."

"But she will like me!"

And with that the immortal started a staring contest with the cat.

Ianto decided that it would have been wise to leave the two creatures alone, knowing already who would have won. Jack was stubborn, but a cat was it even more.


End file.
